Good-bye, NHL season?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Good-bye, NHL season?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The NHL season seems on the verge of being canceled after talks with federal mediators broke off on Thursday without any progress.
The mediators were dismissed for the time being, meaning they had two whole days to intervene.
Two.
"We are disappointed the mediation process was not successful," said Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, on the 75th day of the lockout.
On Twitter, fans roasted the owners and players.
Tweeted Flyer_Bully: "....flyer fan for over 35 years now, and I'm done, they can all shove it."
ESPN reported that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman proposed to Donald Fehr, the NHLPA boss, a meeting between owners and players _ without league or players' association officials.
Fehr and the players are apparently considering it.
Fehr did not address the issue when he released a statement, saying the mediators "informed the parties they did not think it was productive to continue the discussions further today." He added that the mediators would "stay in contact" and "call the parties back together when they thought the time was right."
This would be the second NHL season canceled in the last nine years.
There are numerous issues on the table, including how to divide hockey-related revenue _ it reached a record $3.3 billion last season _ free agency, arbitration, and length of contracts.
The NHL's latest offer was a 50/50 split of hockey revenue and $211million toward the "make whole" provision, which goes toward players' salaries. The players would agree to a 50/50 divide if it included $393 million.
But even if that issue is resolved, Daly said in an email, there are many other areas in which the sides are far apart.
There is a Board of Governors meeting Wednesday, during which more games could be canceled. As it stands, games have been canceled through Dec. 14.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
*son*...Freudian slip, though I eventually married his mother.— 2ndNlong- "Levity"- At this point "Gallows Humor" is in order.
It did make me chuckle though......— SpokaneFlyer - Isn't there an NHL Board of Governors meeting this week? If so, which owners are on it...and do any of them (Ed Snider) have the guts to say "Gary, we've gone as far as we can and the players aren't breaking, so let's get back to the table and hammer out a deal."— Roll Tide!
- Sad to say, Bettman is thinking that the players caved after missing the entire season in 2005 and they'll do the same again.
Go Dawgs. - I fear you are right, Ken. How disappointing! (And while I dislike the "Go Dawgs" comment, at least one of us will be celebrating a BCS title after beating up on ND.) — Roll Tide!
- "Isn't there an NHL Board of Governors meeting this week? If so, which owners are on it...".
Every team has one governor and two alternates. The current chairman of the Board of governors is Boston Bruins owner, Jeremy Jacobs.
— backhand - Thanks, backhand. Jeremy Jacobs' presence won't help. — Roll Tide!
- The Tide is the University of Alabama - the Crimson Tide.
The Dawgs are the University of Georgia - the Bulldogs.
It's Bama vs Georgia for the SEC title on Saturday.— Go Dawgs - The NHL is like MLB this is a cultural and the western canadian rough neck doesn't trust and never will the owner. There is really bad blood here and the proof is another season cancelled inside of a decade.........a marginal sport cannot afford it - as revenue's will be slashed........— Northcountry
- "a marginal sport cannot afford it - as revenue's will be slashed........"
I wish you were correct, but if fan behavior after the last lock-out is any indicator of future behavior, revenues will soar, again.
— backhand - So they're being rewarded for this behavior -- at least, the owners are. Thus there's no reason for them not to do the same thing in the future. BPHL -- the Bipolar Hockey League.
I really wish this were not the only sport I enjoyed watching. Basketball gives me hives, and football and baseball put me to sleep.— janiscortese
